Lead quality has long been a hot button issue between marketing and sales. Most people have their own definition of what constitutes a lead. Here at Winn, we find the process below essential in generating true sales qualified leads.

Quality Original Data

The data you begin with needs to be quality to ensure the efficiency and success of your campaigns. Not only does the data need to be valid, they need to be the correct contacts within the proper niche market. Whether it is a purchased list or leads generated through inbound marketing efforts, you want to validate and segment your contacts so you can create messaging that speaks directly to a particular group. When purchasing a list, be sure to use a reputable data provider, and even then, those lists should be validated prior to launching a campaign.

Targeted Content

Regardless of the platform, be it email, blog or social media, your content should be tailored to fit a niche audience. Speaking directly to the pain points of your target audience will ensure the top of the funnel leads you receive through inbound efforts are worth the extra effort to qualify them. Personalization has far more to do with creating content that will be helpful to a specific group than it does including a person’s name or company name. If you have several different industries, verticals or micro-verticals that you target, you’ll want to come up with unique content pieces for each one.

Structured Nurturing Process

Not everyone is going to be an immediate buyer when they first engage with your company.  Nurturing leads through the pipeline with email workflows, teleprospecting and educational content is essential in bringing quality leads to the bottom of your funnel. Email drip campaigns that touch your prospects every two weeks will keep you at the top of their mind without inundating them with marketing messaging. Teleprospecting is essential in gathering business intelligence and identifying the correct decision makers.

Teleprospecting Qualification

It takes more than a content download to designate someone as a qualified lead. Teleprospecting is instrumental in qualifying inbound leads and generating solid appointments for your sales team. Appointments set through a live touch over the phone are far more likely to be held than those made through purely digital means. Teleprospecting allows you to dig into the needs of your prospects. This not only helps to ensure the lead is viable, it can uncover key information that can aid your sales team in closing a deal.